Which of the following is NOT a characteristic of Service Mapping?

The correct answer highlights a key distinction in the functionality of Service Mapping within the ServiceNow ecosystem. Service Mapping is focused on creating a comprehensive map of business services, which entails understanding how various components—like applications and their underlying infrastructure—interact to deliver those services.

When it comes to the specifics of what Service Mapping does, it does not target the discovery of network devices as a primary characteristic. While Service Mapping may leverage information from network devices in the context of understanding service dependencies, its core functionality is not centered around discovering those devices themselves. Instead, it emphasizes mapping out the relationships and configurations of applications and the services they provide.

The other characteristics listed—requiring an entry point, mapping business services automatically, and requiring credentials for application hosts—are all integral to the Service Mapping process. Each of these elements contributes to the accurate and effective mapping of an organization's services, highlighting the importance of credentials for access, the necessity of defined starting points for mapping initiation, and the automation aspect facilitating continuous updates and maintenance of the service mappings.